As many of you know my son Max writes songs and plays guitar/ukelele. One year ago today he was moved to write "Better Than This" as a reaction to the tragic, unimaginable killings of school children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. You can hear the song above. Max is singing and playing guitar along with Lyla DiPaul on the ukelele. Their Band "What Are We" has performed this song in public a number of times this year including at the Takoma Park Folk Festival.
Though our minds are on the holidays and our plans to celebrate with family and friends, we can't help but to think of those families that were victims at Sandy Hook...along with others who are innocent victims of such horrible crimes...I will never understand why these things happen...and keep happening.
Max wrote the following about the song:
"I wrote this song on the night of that terrible day, in response to the confusion I had. Why would anyone want to hurt children for something going on in your mind? In the song, I try to portray as if I am talking to Lanza (it was not determined who was the shooter, at that time) and try to say you "know better than this." It may sound cheesy, but its the message I want to get out."
You can listen to Max performing the song here. Special thanks to Andrew "Steelie" Steele for making this recording.
Lyrics:
Better Than This
©Max Kittner 2012
V1:
you crazy freak
you look so weak
and you know better than this
you look like
you wanna go feel alive
I’ll say you know better than this
Chorus:
Well why do you do this
trying to be a devil
you know you will screw yourself over
Why do you do this
trying to get attention
but now you will be overkill
This is what I call a mess because
you know better than this
V2:
Trying to be the devil
trying to gain a level
that makes you more than this
You are so hopeless
because you are cope-less
who the hell made you this way
maybe it was you
because i wouldn’t shoot
all those little children
Bridge:
I know if I did
I wouldn’t have hid
trying to leave yourself
trying to end in revenge
I know you think
this the end of the brink
no more light for you
because you have went
to darkness
Chorus:
Well why do you do this
trying to be a devil
you know you will screw yourself over
Why do you do this
trying to get attention
but now you will be overkill
This is what I call a mess because
you know better than this
This is what I call a mess because
you know better than this
cause you know better than this
